BTC 2024 - Edmonton: Full Schedule

WELCOME TO THE 2024 EDMONTON BEGINNING TEACHERS’ CONFERENCE!

Teachers new to the profession are invited to attend the 2024 Beginning Teachers’ Conference, September 20-21, Fantasyland Hotel, Edmonton. There is no registration fee. Space is limited; apply early.

School principals, school jurisdictions and local associations work together to provide substitute teacher coverage as per the collective agreement to facilitate the attendance of beginning teachers at the conference. Substitute teacher coverage must be organized and approved in advance. Please ensure you meet with your school principal to discuss release time and obtain the appropriate absence code to attend this conference.

Teachers in charter, federal and private schools must be associate members of the Association to be eligible to attend the Beginning Teachers Conference.

10:15am MDT

Teaching English as an Additional Language—Crash Course (K–12)

Friday September 20, 2024 10:15am - 11:30am MDT

Chablis (Room 12)

What's the difference between Canadian-born and Foreign-Born ELLs? Do I have to use different strategies to help them? How long does it take for language learners to "master" a language? If they are shy, do I "make" them talk or should I give other support? When can I or should I use a translator? What the heck are EAL Benchmarks? These are very great questions that teachers (not just beginners - may ask)! Join Annie on an "EAL Crash Course" to learn about the different layers of EAL teaching and walk away with more targetted questions for exploration but also fresh ideas on how you may best support your kiddos to kickstart your teaching/learning journeys!

Speakers

Annie Fung

ESL Consultant, EPSB

Annie Fung is currently an ESL Consultant with Edmonton Public Schools. She enjoys welcoming newcomer families and working with different students and teachers in her two school catchments. Teaching and learning are never left at the door when she comes home because her husband/co-presenter... Read More →

Friday September 20, 2024 10:15am - 11:30am MDT
Chablis (Room 12)

Inclusive Education, Division I, Division II, Division III, Division IV

12:30pm MDT

How to Teach ELA When It’s Not Your Specialty (7-9)

Friday September 20, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT

Chablis (Room 12)

Get a crash course on English Language Arts and learn how to leverage the curriculum to lean into your specialty strengths. Whether you are trying to find ways to make cross-curricular connections with Social Studies, Science, Math, or Fine Arts in order to support literacy in every class, or if you are a newcomer to ELA just trying to find your bearings, this session will offer practical strategies on how to teach Jr High ELA with adaptation considerations for lower and higher grades.

Speakers

Alyssa Backs

Teacher, English Language Arts Council

Backs is the Central Region Representative for the ATA’s English Language Arts Council. She holds a B. Ed in Secondary Education with a major in Social Studies and a minor in ELA through the University of Alberta. She recently completed her master’s degree in Library and Information... Read More →

Friday September 20, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT
Chablis (Room 12)

Language Arts, Division III

2:00pm MDT

Survival Strategies for English Language Arts Teachers (7–12)

Friday September 20, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT

Chablis (Room 12)

Your first few years in English language arts can be intimidating: the marking, the planning, the reading... the marking! This engaging, casual session with two experienced ELA teachers and department heads will give you real-world strategies for not just surviving your first few years, but for finding the joy in them, too.

Speakers

Chandra Hildebrand

Friday September 20, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Chablis (Room 12)

Language Arts, Division III, Division IV

9:00am MDT

Managing Professional Relationships—Dealing with Difficult People and Difficult Issues (K–12)

Saturday September 21, 2024 9:00am - 10:15am MDT

Chablis (Room 12)

Hostile conversations with adults in school settings are becoming more commonplace and more intense, and are deemed to be extremely stressful for educators. What can schools do to safeguard the school and effectively communicate with those individuals who have a propensity toward volatility? This presentation gives an overview of the rights and responsibilities of students, parents, teachers and school leaders with an emphasis on the knowledge and skills for effective conflict management and conflict resolution. This session also provides a brief introduction to the Healthy Interactions Program.

Speakers

Dave Matson

Executive Staff Officer, Teacher Employment Services, Alberta Teachers' Association

A rolling stone at heart, Dave’s teaching career includes experience teaching high school and International Baccalaureate Physics and Math in a variety of communities including a northern community in Saskatchewan, a rural fishing village in Nova Scotia, a metropolitan city in the... Read More →

Saturday September 21, 2024 9:00am - 10:15am MDT
Chablis (Room 12)

Hot Topics for Professionals, Division I, Division II, Division III, Division IV

10:30am MDT

Unlock the Potential with new.LearnAlberta.ca (K–6)

Saturday September 21, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am MDT

Chablis (Room 12)

Did you know you can do much more than just view curriculum on new.LearnAlberta.ca? This session will explore how you can make new.LearnAlberta.ca work for you. You’ll see how to view a scope and sequence, find sample lesson plans, explore professional learning supports, and learn how to use Boards, a teacher planning tool.

Speakers

Karla Holt - Alberta Education

Saturday September 21, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am MDT
Chablis (Room 12)

Hot Topics for Professionals, Division I, Division II | Curriculum Pedagogy, Division I, Division II